Back planning, also known as backward planning or backward scheduling, is a project management technique used to schedule tasks and milestones by starting from a final deadline or desired end date and working backward.
Unlike traditional forward scheduling where you begin with the start date and sequence tasks forward to determine the project end date, backward planning is not a classic schedule. As the reference states, usually, you start from the start date and schedule to the end date. With backward scheduling, you do the opposite! You start with the end date of the project.
How Back Planning Works
The core principle of back planning involves identifying the final activity or milestone and then determining the preceding activities, their durations, and dependencies required to complete the project by the target end date.
Here's a simple breakdown:
- Identify the End Date: Define the non-negotiable deadline or desired completion date.
- Identify the Final Task: Determine the very last task that must be finished right before the end date.
- Work Backward: For the final task, determine the task(s) immediately preceding it. Calculate when these preceding tasks must be completed to allow the final task to finish on time.
- Continue Iterating: Repeat step 3 for each preceding task, moving backward through the project activities until you reach the very first task.
- Determine Start Date: The date you arrive at for the first task becomes the required start date for the project to meet the deadline.
Back Planning vs. Forward Planning
Understanding the difference is key.
| Feature | Back Planning (Backward Scheduling) | Forward Planning (Forward Scheduling) |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Point | Fixed End Date | Fixed Start Date |
| Direction | Works backward from the end date to find the start date. | Works forward from the start date to find the end date. |
| Focus | Meeting a deadline. | Determining the project completion date. |
| Use Cases | Projects with strict, non-negotiable deadlines. | Projects where resources or start dates are fixed first. |
When to Use Back Planning
Back planning is particularly useful in situations where:
- There is a critical, unchangeable deadline (e.g., product launch date, regulatory requirement date, event date).
- You need to determine the absolute latest possible start date for a project.
- You want to understand the critical path and identify potential scheduling constraints when working towards a fixed endpoint.
- Planning for events or initiatives with a specific delivery date.
Benefits of Back Planning
- Deadline Focused: Ensures all planning revolves around hitting the crucial end date.
- Identifies Urgency: Clearly shows which tasks must start by certain dates to avoid missing the deadline.
- Resource Allocation: Helps in understanding resource needs and availability constraints required to meet the schedule.
- Risk Identification: Highlights potential pinch points or activities that have little float when working back from the deadline.
Back planning provides a different perspective on project timelines, making it an essential tool when the final delivery date is the primary constraint.
